BY JOCELYN ZHOU ’22
Mount Holyoke’s Chinese Cultural Association (CCA) held their annual “China Night” show on Jan. 31 in Chapin Auditorium. The line of attendees in front of Chapin stretched past Mary Woolley Hall in anticipation of the event, which began at 5 p.m.
Guohui Yang ‘22, one of the organizers, said that CCA prepared the show for three months to celebrate the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival.
“China Night” has been held annually for almost 20 years. Among the attendees were Mount Holyoke and Five College students, faculty members and local residents.
“I am particularly excited that more non-Chinese students come to ‘China Night’ to learn about Chinese culture,” Eunice Chen ’22, one of the CCA members, said.
Attendees checked in and received a lottery number from a staff member. Food options included varied Chinese cuisines, which was different than last year’s event.
“We prepared more Chinese cuisines and ordered dishes from three restaurants,” Eunice Chen ’22 said. “I believe both Chinese and non-Chinese people can find one dish that they like.”
While attendees were talking and having dinner, CCA members played a video of different Chinese recipes and the process of making them. Chinese foods especially attracted students to attend the event.
“ I love the food and acts. They are always good,” Taylor Chou ’20 said.
After dinner, the show started with a Beijing opera, a dominant form of Chinese opera that combines music and vocal performance. This year, “The Drunken Concubine” was the first Beijing opera on stage. This particular performance was one of the master of Mei Lan Fang, a notable Beijing opera artist.
Xinran Li ’23, a performer in “The Drunken Concubine,” said, “Even Chinese students do not know much about Beijing opera. I hope my show can make people learn about Beijing opera.”
The next performance was from members of Sky Dance, who performed four pieces which featured the styles of traditional Chinese dances, followed by other dance performances. Among the traditional dances, “Jiuer,” narrated the history of Japan’s occupation. The story praised the spirit of a legendary woman, Jiuer, who dared to fight against the oppressor.
Apart from traditional dance performances, Rainbow Jelly, MHC’s K-pop dance group, presented modern dances, bringing many variations of Korean pop music to the stage.
“Enchanted,” a dance performance that depicted a Chinese folk story, “Painted Skin,” tells of one witch chasing after another to interchange their roles. The movements of the dance conveyed the tension and struggles between the two witches to present female power from a different perspective.
After the performances, CCA held a lottery. The hosts randomly called numbers to invite audience members to play a traditional Chinese game, Ji Gu Chuan Hua, on the stage. The winner of the game would be rewarded with jelly, a special Chinese snack.
Xianan Yao ’21 said, “We added the lottery in the show to cheer up the audience.” N95, a new band on campus, performed for the first time on “China Night.” They played the song “Thousand Time of Sorrow,” which conveyed a hopeful message to people in China, who are currently fighting against coronavirus.
“We are dedicating the song to all the people fighting in China,” Eunice Chen ’22 said. “Even though we are thousands of miles away from home, we are always with them in spirit.”
The show continued on. The Shaolin Kung Fu Center of Hadley, the only Kung Fu School in the Pioneer Valley, also delivered a showcase at the event. This year was the 11th in which they performed Kung Fu on “China Night.” Phil Myers, a teacher from the Center, believes Chinese Kung Fu is a self-discovery which everyone can relate to.
“I am dedicated to Chinese Kung Fu specifically because of personal development. Kung Fu is what I am connected to,” Myers said. “I tell my students the greatest thing about Kung Fu is it has too much to it. Everybody is different. We all get something different from Kung Fu.”
China Night brings students a sense of home, but it also aims to build a bridge between non-Chinese citizens and Chinese culture.
“I think it’s wonderful to get a special invitation ... I never miss China Night,” said Donna Van Handle, a senior lecturer in German Studies. “I used to be Dean of International Students along with teaching German. I have several students from China. Even though they are miles away, I still feel I’m connected to them.”